Bathing a Dog in 7 Simple Steps

The dog stinks, and you just can’t take the odor anymore. You realize the time has come to give the dog a bath. But where do you begin? How should you do it? Outside? Inside? In the bathtub? On the kitchen floor?

Step 1: Find the Best Location

Contrary to popular belief, your bathtub is not the most convenient location for giving the dog a bath. In fact, if you’re not careful, an attempted dog bath can quickly turn into a mud-is-now-on-EVERYTHING session as your pooch tries her best to wiggle away and shake off excess water. Nonetheless, we all have bathtubs which makes it, by default, the most popular location for washing the pup. So if you’re like most others and must use the bathtub as your cleaning station, then keep these tips in mind:

Step 2: Plan Ahead to Reduce Slips, Spills, and Escapes

Dogs don’t like to slip, so make sure you place a rubber mat on the bottom of the tub. Also, if this is your pup’s first bath, then she’ll most likely put up a fight. So be sure to place some dry towels on the floor beside the tub to soak up any water that splashes. These towels will also provide a soft surface for you to kneel on while you scrub away.

Clean Pups Are Soooo Cute

Avoid placing your dog under the shower. Most dogs don’t like water falling onto them and will try to escape. And just in case you didn’t know… a wet dog on the run equals a wrecked house.

If your tub has a hand-held shower attachment, then use it! Your bathing session will be MUCH easier since the hand-held attachment will allow you to rinse the dog’s sides and underbelly more quickly than trying to scoop up the water with a bucket (or your hands). If you don’t have one of these nifty shower attachments, they are a cinch to install, and you can purchase our favorite Waterpik model for under $25.

Step 3: Lather Up and Wash

Begin by thoroughly wetting your dog with warm (but not hot) water. Try your best to keep the water out of her eyes and ears. Secondly, because human shampoo can be irritating to dog skin, you should be sure to only use dog shampoos & conditioners. We recommend the Bobbi Panter brand for its all-natural ingredients such as: tea tree oil, flaxseed oil, oat protein (oatmeal) and aloe vera.

Pour a small amount of shampoo in your hand, add water, then lather up your dog. Massage the lather into the dog’s skin rather than just letting it stay on top of her fur. If necessary, use a bathing brush, comb, or glove to get the shampoo past the outer coat and onto the skin. If your dog is very dirty, then rinse and repeat the shampoo process as necessary. After the final rinse, apply the conditioner in the same manner as the shampoo.

Step 4: Rinse Thoroughly

As a general rule, you should spend as much time rinsing as you did lathering. If your pooch has a long coat that tends to mat, then consider using a de-tangler spray. And again, rinse your dog thoroughly! Any shampoo, conditioner, or de-tangler left on your dog’s skin can lead to rashes and irritation.

Step 6: It’s Dry Time

Use your hands to squeegee any excess water from your dog’s back, tail, and legs. Remove the dog from the tub and dry her with several clean towels. If you have a hair dryer, then give it a try. Some dogs can stand it and others may be fearful of it. Oh, and if you do use the hair dryer, hold it in one hand and use your other hand to fluff the hair as you dry it. This will not only dry the hair faster, but also allows you to determine whether the air is getting too hot.

Step 7: Praise and Treat

Give her several “Good Girl!” praises and a load of her favorite doggy treats. Associate bathing with positive enforcement so that eventually your pup will LOVE getting into the tub.